提摩太加入福音事工

16 保罗来到特庇,然后又到路司得。那里有个门徒名叫提摩太,母亲是信主的犹太人,父亲是希腊人。 路司得和以哥念的弟兄姊妹都称赞提摩太。 保罗打算带提摩太去传福音。因为当地的犹太人都知道提摩太的父亲是希腊人,保罗就给提摩太行了割礼。 他们走遍各城,把耶路撒冷的使徒和长老所定下的规条教导当地的门徒遵守。 这样,众教会在信仰上得到坚固,人数天天都在增加。

马其顿人的呼求

由于圣灵阻止他们到亚细亚传福音,他们便经过弗吕迦和加拉太地区, 来到每西亚的边界,正要进入庇推尼地区,耶稣的灵又加以拦阻。 他们就越过每西亚,下到特罗亚。 当天晚上,保罗在异象中看见一个马其顿人站在那里恳求他:“请到马其顿来帮助我们!”

10 保罗见了这个异象,确信是上帝呼召我们[a]到马其顿去传福音,就立刻准备动身。 11 我们从特罗亚启航,直接驶往撒摩特喇,第二天抵达尼亚坡里, 12 再从那里来到腓立比。腓立比是马其顿的主要城市,是罗马帝国的殖民地。我们在那里住了几天。 13 安息日那天,我们到城外的河边,知道那里有一个祷告的地方,就坐下来,向已经聚集的妇女讲道。 14 听众中有个卖紫色布匹的妇人名叫吕底亚,是推雅推喇城的人,向来敬拜上帝。上帝开启她的心,她便留心听保罗讲道。 15 吕底亚和家人接受洗礼之后,极力邀请我们,说:“如果你们认为我是真心信主的话,请来我家住。”于是强留我们住下。

保罗和西拉入狱

16 一天,我们又去河边那个祷告的地方,途中遇到一个被巫鬼附身的女奴。她用占卜为她的主人们赚了不少钱。 17 她跟着保罗和我们大喊大叫:“这些人是至高上帝的奴仆,是来向你们宣讲得救之道的。” 18 一连几天,她都这样喊叫。保罗不胜其烦,就转过身来斥责那鬼:“我奉耶稣基督的名命令你从她身上出来!”那鬼立刻从她身上出去了。

19 她的主人们眼见财路断绝了,就把保罗和西拉揪住,拖到广场去见官长。 20 他们在官长面前控告保罗和西拉,说:“这些是犹太人,竟扰乱我们的城市, 21 宣扬我们罗马人不可接受或实行的风俗。” 22 于是,大家都一起攻击他们,官长下令剥掉他们的衣服,杖打他们。 23 他们被毒打一顿,又被关进监狱,官长命狱卒严密看守。 24 狱卒接到命令后把他们关进内牢,双脚上了枷锁。

25 半夜,保罗和西拉祷告、唱诗赞美上帝,其他的囚犯都侧耳倾听。 26 突然间发生大地震,整座监狱的地基都摇动起来,牢门立刻全开了,囚犯的锁链也都松开了。 27 狱卒惊醒后,看见牢门尽开,以为囚犯已经逃走了,就想拔刀自杀。 28 保罗见状,大声喝止:“不要伤害自己,我们都在这里!”

29 狱卒叫人拿灯过来,冲进内牢,战战兢兢地俯伏在保罗和西拉面前。 30 狱卒领他们出来后问道:“两位先生,我该怎样做才能得救?”

31 他们说:“要信主耶稣,你和你一家就必定得救。” 32 于是保罗和西拉向狱卒和他全家传讲主的道。 33 当晚,狱卒把二人带去,为他们清洗伤口。他一家老小都接受了洗礼。 34 他请二人到家里吃饭,他和全家人充满了喜乐,因为都信了上帝。

35 第二天早上,官长派差役来,说:“把他们放了。” 36 狱卒转告保罗说:“官长下令释放你们,现在你们可以平安地走了。” 37 保罗却说:“我们是罗马公民,他们不经审讯就当众打我们,又把我们关进牢里,现在却想偷偷打发掉我们吗?这样不行,叫他们亲自来领我们出去!”

38 差役回报官长。官长得知保罗和西拉都是罗马公民,非常害怕, 39 连忙到狱中向他们道歉,领他们出监,又央求他们离开腓立比。 40 二人离开监狱,来到吕底亚家中,见了弟兄姊妹,劝勉一番之后,便离开了那里。

Footnotes

  1. 16:10 本书作者路加此时加入保罗的行列,故改用第一人称复数“我们”。

保羅帶提摩太同行

16 保羅來到了特庇,又到了路司得。在那裡有一個門徒,名叫提摩太,是一個信主的猶太婦人的兒子,父親卻是希臘人。 路司得和以哥念的弟兄們都稱讚他。 保羅有意要他一同出去,但為了那些地方的猶太人,就給他行了割禮,因為他們都知道他父親是希臘人。 他們經過各城,把耶路撒冷的使徒和長老所定的規條,交給門徒遵守。 於是眾教會信心越發堅固,人數天天增加。

保羅見異象往馬其頓去

聖靈既然禁止他們在亞西亞傳道,他們就走遍弗呂家、加拉太地區。 他們來到每西亞邊境,想要去庇推尼,耶穌的靈也不許。 他們經過每西亞,下到特羅亞。 夜間有一個異象向保羅顯現:有一個馬其頓人站著求他說:“請你到馬其頓來,幫助我們!” 10 保羅見了這異象,我們就認定是 神呼召我們去傳福音給他們,於是立刻設法前往馬其頓。

呂底亞信主

11 我們從特羅亞開船,直航撒摩特拉,第二天到達尼亞波利, 12 從那裡來到腓立比,就是馬其頓地區的首要城市,是羅馬的殖民地。我們在這城裡住了幾天。 13 安息日我們出了城門,來到河邊,以為那裡是個祈禱的地方。我們坐下,對聚集的婦女講論。 14 有一位敬畏 神的婦女,名叫呂底亞,是推雅推拉城賣紫色布的商人,她一直在聽,主開啟她的心,使她留心聽保羅所講的。 15 她和她一家受了洗以後,就請求說:“你們若認為我是對主忠實的,就請到我家來住。”於是她強留我們。

在腓立比被囚

16 有一次,我們到祈禱的地方去的時候,一個被巫鬼附著的婢女迎面而來;她行占卜使主人們發了大財。 17 她跟著保羅和我們,喊叫說:“這些人是至高 神的僕人,向你們傳講得救的道路。” 18 她一連多日這樣喊叫,保羅覺得厭煩,就轉身對那鬼說:“我奉耶穌基督的名,命令你從她身上出來!”那鬼就立刻出來了。 19 她的主人們看見發財的希望完了,就揪住保羅和西拉,拉到市中心去見官長, 20 又帶到裁判官面前,說:“這些人是猶太人,擾亂我們的城市, 21 傳我們羅馬人不准接受、不准實行的規例。” 22 群眾一齊起來攻擊他們,裁判官就剝去他們的衣服,下令用棍子打他們。 23 打了很多棍,就把他們放在監牢裡,吩咐獄吏嚴密看守。 24 獄吏領了命令,就把他們押入內監,兩腳拴了木狗。

保羅領獄吏全家信主

25 約在半夜,保羅和西拉祈禱歌頌 神,囚犯們都側耳聽著。 26 忽然發生了大地震,以致監牢的地基都搖動起來,所有的監門立刻開了,囚犯的鎖鍊都鬆了。 27 獄吏醒過來,看見監門全開,以為囚犯都已經逃脫了,就拔出刀來想要自刎。 28 保羅大聲呼叫說:“不要傷害自己,我們都在這裡!” 29 獄吏叫人拿了燈來,就衝進去,戰戰兢兢地俯伏在保羅和西拉面前, 30 隨後領他們出來,說:“先生,我應該作甚麼才可以得救?” 31 他們說:“當信主耶穌,你和你一家人都必定得救。” 32 他們就把主的道,講給他和所有在他家裡的人聽。 33 就在當夜的那個時候,獄吏領他們去洗傷,獄吏和他家人都受了洗, 34 就帶他們到家裡,擺上飯食,他和全家因信了 神就大大喜樂。

35 到了天亮,裁判官派法警來,說:“放了這些人!” 36 獄吏就把這話告訴保羅,說:“裁判官派人來釋放你們,現在可以出來,平平安安地去吧!” 37 保羅對他們說:“我們是羅馬人,還沒有定罪,他們就公開打我們,又放在監裡;現在要私下趕我們出去嗎?不行!他們應當親自來,領我們出去!” 38 法警把這番話回報裁判官,裁判官聽說他們是羅馬人,就害怕起來, 39 於是來請求他們,領他們出監之後,就請他們離開那城。 40 兩人出了監,就到呂底亞的家裡去,見了弟兄們,勸勉他們一番,就離開了。

16 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.

13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.